The Half Goblin

[Goldenfrog]

I don't know why my players love to drive me mad. One of them always wants to play bizarre race type characters. He is most famous for his half-orc paladin at least in our Pathfinder games.

Now he has his sights set on a half goblin barbarian.He read the idea on some message board about how Goblins can mate with just about anything so now he has this huge back story made up about a female Goblin shaman seducing a Dwarf while the Dwarf was captured! -----I covered my ears during that part.

So he wants to play a Goblin-Dwarf Barbarian.

My got reaction is just to say no but then I think about it and what do I care?

Let him make a 1/2 orc and just make him short and with green skin?

I guess I could make it up with the ARG but that seems like a lot of work for one character.

Anyone have any 1/2 Goblin thoughts?

[Cricket the Sexy Goblin Druid]

Goblins are sexy.

[blackbloodtroll]

Dwarfs and Goblins a genetically incompatible.

He could be Human/Goblin or Aasimar/Goblin.

[VRMH]

Goldenfrog wrote:

I guess I could make it up with the ARG but that seems like a lot of work for one character.

So let the player do it. Just say in advance: "If it's cool and reasonable, I'll allow it. If it's stupid or overpowered, I won't."

[David knott 242]

I would point him to the Race Builder in the Advanced Race Guide. Tell him he has 10 race points (or perhaps less) to spend, must buy everything that both races share (so he must have darkvision 60' and -2 to charisma, for example), and all other points must be spent on abilities of one or the other of the two races (at least one from each).

The big problems with the race builder come when you don't constrain the player in any way -- then a player can make up a race from scratch that is custom designed for the class he wants to play. In this case, the player is constrained by his character's known ancestry.

A simpler approach would be to have the character take strongly after one race or the other and thus for game purposes be a member of that race. Then he can select the Adopted trait to be raised by the other race and pick and choose his alternate racial traits from his official race with his mixed origin in mind.

But in any case, if he wants a weird character like that, make him do the creative work and then you just check it for game balance.

[blackbloodtroll]

Adopted trait does not grant Racial traits, it grants one Race trait.

They are not the same thing.

Anyways, where did he pull this "Goblins mate with anything" bullcrap?

Inquiring minds want to know.

[Goldenfrog]

Well I told him to make his half goblin race up and get back to me for approval. Then he started reading Tome of secrets.

Then came back with"How far off the normal height and weight charts can a character go?"

I have a feeling he is going to try and swing a midget half ogre or something!

WTH is wrong with this dude?

Midget Half-Ogres,the DM's Guide didn't prepare me for this.

[Dave the Dwarf]

If its for roleplaying purposes let him do whatever he wants. If it gets too wierd it was done with magic.

If it is for a game bonus tell him no.

[Goldenfrog]

He is by no means a min/maxer. Some of my other players are (no real issue with that)but this guy is way more into role playing strange characters and less into something powerful.

One of our favorite dead characters of his was: The Enlightened Master Bean,a Kobold Monk.

He is going on and on about his character right now.

He will be a barbeque fanatic,something about Dragon Barbeque being the greatest treasure.

Sigh.......I don't mind heavy role player types but why does it always have to be WEIRD?

[doc the grey]

Raging swan actually did a pretty cool write up for half goblins in their lonely coast mod that's player built (ie. it has no racial hd and levels up via taking a class). I believe it is in the free lonely coast book and it's in their tribes anthology book 2.

[Nearyn]

Mmmmmmm Goblins <3

[Kazaan]

I worked something up. I'll let someone else fluff it up with a name.

Spoiler:

Dwarf/Goblin
Humanoid(Dwarf, Goblin)
Small
Slow Speed -1 RP
Weakness (+2 Str +2 Wis, -4 Cha); -1 RP
(not sure on languages)

Ability Score Traits
Advanced Strength, +2 Str; 4RP
Defensive Traits
Dual-Minded, +2 Wil Saves; 1 RP
Offensive Traits
Bite x4; 7RP 1d6 Bite*
Feat/Skill Traits
Master Tinker; 2RP
Scavenger; 2RP
Senses Traits
See in Darkness; 4RP
Light Blindness; -2RP

Total: 16

Description: Considering the mutual hatred between the two races, hybrids between Dwarves and Goblins are exceedingly rare. But, when one does occur, the combination of such polar opposites can have drastic effects. These creatures appear as little more than a walking tangle of thick hair. A pair of beady little black eyes may be visible peering from the depths, but typically, that's it. But should one happen to open its mouth, you would see a gaping maw, filled with many razor sharp teeth; a far bigger mouth than a creature of its size should possess. Their bite is a potent weapon given its size and their natural strength. Another thing to note is that they can see perfectly in any darkness, even supernatural darkness. Being outcasts of both parents' societies, they often resort to wandering through cave systems, scavenging for both food and also materials to build things out of. Both Dwarves and Goblins are renowned for their love of tinkering and these creatures have it in spades, building random things out of whatever they can find almost by shear compulsion. Due to their isolated nature, they often lack most social graces; they will, however, associated with others if it gives them opportunity to put their tinkering to use (and, if they have a way to overcome their light blindness).

*Normally, Bite would be limited to 2 times for a total cost of 2 RP. For the sake of flavor, I waived the restriction and added 1 to the RP cost for each additional taking after the second; 1 + 1 + 2 + 3 = 7.

[David knott 242]

blackbloodtroll wrote:

Adopted trait does not grant Racial traits, it grants one Race trait.

They are not the same thing.

I never said they were -- but it would still be a good idea for a dwarf/goblin hybrid to take that trait.

Let's say he grew up in a dwarven community. We make the character a goblin for his official race, and give him adopted to give him access to one dwarf race trait -- a small token of the fact that he was raised by dwarves and not by goblins.

Now we look over the alternate racial traits for a goblin (separate operation entirely). Looking over the list, Cave Crawler and Over-sized Ears look particularly appropriate -- they each replace a racial trait appropriate to goblins raised by other goblins with something that a goblin raised by dwarves might reasonably have picked up during his childhood.

[Silence among Hounds]

A race doesn't have its own half breed?!
Here's what I do in all circumstances, unless it's a truly outrageous creature.
+2 to any Ability score
Same size as dominant creature, (in this case Goblin as Dwarves are quite infertile)
Then use a point build of 8-16 in the racial creation section.
Give them the mandatory rule they must have one fluff racial effect per race.

OR Goblins are so dominant in their breeding with Dwarves, they only true change is cosmetic.